Recreation climate assessment

Abstract

The study examines methods for assessing the atmospheric resource component of recreation environments. Beach use is selected as it is a highly weather sensitive recreational activity. The study area is King's Beach in Queensland, Australia. The nature of the relationship between beach climate and the enjoyment of recreational pursuits is taken to be a function of thermal, physical, and aesthetic components of the atmospheric environment. A body‐atmosphere heat‐budget model is used to integrate and isolate the thermal component of beach weather and enable identification of important non‐thermal recreational resource attributes of the atmosphere. Beach‐user sensory perception of on‐site atmospheric conditions expressed verbally is used to assess the physical and aesthetic components of the atmospheric environment. The immediate thermal environment of the beach user is the main contributing factor to assessments of the desirability of on‐site meteorological conditions, followed by the non‐thermal effects of cloud and wind. Rainfall events of half‐hour duration or longer have an overriding effect.